


New Hair, New Man

by okay_klepto



Category: Red Dead Redemption (Video Games)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, No Spoilers, Pining Arthur
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-17
Updated: 2019-02-17
Packaged: 2019-10-30 15:34:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17831294
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/okay_klepto/pseuds/okay_klepto
Summary: When it comes to fashion, Arthur is about as clueless as a rock.  Luckily, Javier is there to give Arthur some tips on how to do his hair and how to dress.  But the whole thing totally isn't about Arthur having a budding crush on the newest gang member.  Javier doesn't know what he's talking about.





	New Hair, New Man

**Author's Note:**

> Hahahaha I should be working on my WIPs not starting new things!

   The sun high in the sky signaled to everyone that it was lunchtime, and Pearson’s stew was fresh and hot.  Arthur ladled out a generous helping of stew into his bowl, making sure to give himself a few extra chunks of venison.  He had hunted the deer that was in the stew, after all.  He deserved a little bit more.

   He took a quick look around the camp, searching for a place to sit and eat.  Some of the girls were playing Dominos, so that table was taken, and Uncle and Swanson were passed out drunk on the other.  A few of the others had gone into town to get supplies, so they were to be found.  Why when he wanted to be alone, everyone wanted his attention, but when he wanted to sit a chat, everyone was gone?  Then, near one of the other fires, Arthur spotted Javier fiddling with his guitar. Perfect.

   “Hey, Javier,” Arthur greeted as he approached and sat down on the log near the small fire.

   “Hello, Arthur,” Javier greeted back, looking up for just an instant before turning his attention back to the guitar in his lap.

   “Whatcha up to?”

   “I am tuning… my guitar.”  Javier put his ear near the hole in the body of the guitar before plucking one of the strings and gingerly adjusting the tuning peg.

   “It’s out of tune?”

   “Yes.  I think the change in temperature from being in the snow to coming here messed up the strings a little bit.”

   “How’d you tell?”

   “I could tell when I was playing last night.  The cords sounded off.”

   “Wow!”  Arthur shoved a big bite of meat into his mouth.  “How do you know when it’s back right?”

   “I just do.”  Javier switched to the next string, plucking it and turning its peg.  “I’ve been playing since I could fit a guitar in my hand.”

   Arthur shook his head and smiled.  “You really are somethin'.”

   Arthur finished off his stew, Javier strumming and plucking random cords as he tuned.

   “Javier?”

   “Si?”

   “Can I ask you a question?”

   “Sure.”

   Arthur set his empty stew bowl down on the ground.  “It’s… a kinda dumb question.”

   “A lot of questions are.”

   Arthur removed his hat and played with the brim of it in his hands.  “I just… I’ve been thinkin’ ‘bout stuff.”

   Javier scowled to himself.  “Alright?”

   “And…”  Arthur sighed.  “Do you think I should get a hair cut?”

   Javier let the last (slightly out of tune) note to the cord he plucked fade out before he looked up at Arthur.  “What?”

   “Do you think I should get a hair cut?”

   “Are you being serious?”

   “Of course I’m bein’ serious, you idiot!”

   “Well, I don’t know!”  Javier looked at Arthur’s hair.  It covered his ears, and it was a little dirty, but that was how it always looked.  “It is your hair.  Why are you asking me?”

   “Who else am I supposed to ask?  Half the men at this camp don’t even have enough hair to have any sort of style, and the other haven’t touched their hair since Blackwater!”

   “What about John?”  Javier suggested.

   “He hasn’t bathed since the day he was born, let alone thought about his hair.”

   “Charles?”

   “He’ll tell me to have it long.”

   “Dutch?”

   “He’ll see it as an opportunity to get me lookin’ all fancy like, or he’ll ask me if I’m considerin’ goin’ back to city life.”

   “Hosea?”

   “He’ll just tell me to do what I think is best, and I don't know what's best.”

   “So why me?  What makes me, Javier Escuella, the man you wanted to ask about a damn hair cut?”

   “Well…”  Arthur ran a hand through his hair.  “You’re… you’re the only one at this camp who has any lick of sensible style.”

   Javier was a little taken aback.  Arthur Morgan?  Giving him a compliment on something other than his shooting skills?  Absolutely unheard of.

   “So you are saying that you like my hair and the way I dress?  Are you trying to look like me?”

   “What!?”  Arthur leaned back in shock.  “No! I just came here to ask for your opinion!”

   “Well, what kind of look do you want?”

   “I don’t know… somethin’ a little more modern.”

   Javier chuckled and went back to his guitar.  “Go ask one of the girls then. I do not know anything about 'modern.'”

   “C’mon, Javier!  I can’t ask them!”

   “Why not?”

   “I just can’t!”

   “Well, I’m sure Mary-Beth or that new girl, (y/n), knows something about fashion, at least more than I do.”

   “Please just help me, Javier!  Short? Long? Parted? Give me something!”

   “No!  Ask (y/n)!”

   “I can’t ask her!”  Arthur’s voice was suddenly lowered.  “Please, Javier.”

   Javier thought for a moment.  “Why can’t you ask her?  It’s not like you care about how she thinks you look.”

   “That’s not- It’s not-”  Arthur leaned in and grabbed Javier by his shirt collar.  “Just tell me how to fucking cut my hair.”

   “No!  You either ask her, or tell me why you will not ask her, and if you do not give me a straight answer, I will call her over here and tell her the whole thing.”

   Arthur released Javier and sat back down on his spot, defeated.  “It’s just… whenever we’re in town, the men that talk to her and the ones she talks are well dressed and have short, clean hair.”

   “So?”  Javier poked.

   “Well, I thought that hair might… look nice on me.”

   Javier stared at Arthur with a sly grin.  “And you want to be like those men?”

   “Not like them, just…”

   “Look, Arthur, you good at a lot of things, but lying is not one of those things.”  Javier put a hand on Arthur’s shoulder. “If you want to impress her or something with your hair, just go to the barber and ask for something trendy.  I am sure he can come up with something nice.”

   Arthur stayed standing as Javier stood up from the ground, guitar in hand.

   “And Arthur?”

   Arthur looked up to Javier.

   “If you really want to get her attention her, put some actual thought into what you wear, even around camp.  She’s not a country cowpoke like you; she probably likes someone a little more put together.  Oh, and unbutton your shirt a little.  Showing a little skin never hurt anyone.”

   With that, Javier walked back over to his tent, whistling a cheerful tune.  Arthur stood as well, putting his hat back on top of messy hair, and headed to his horse to go get a hair cut and a new jacket, but not before undoing the first two buttons on his shirt.

**Author's Note:**

> I just wanted a little bit of Arthur fluff, yeehaw, and I get a hair cut for one of the missions and the comments I got from around camp inspire this.
> 
> Also, please let me know if you would like a part 2 of this. It would probably be reader reacting to Arthur's new do. Let in know in a comment, and a little Ko-fi donation to go along with it would be real nice encouragement to go along with it (wink wink).
> 
> Yeehaw.
> 
> Thank you so much for reading, and I really hope you enjoyed this fic! Don’t forget to check out my [other works](https://archiveofourown.com/users/okay_klepto) as well. As always, comments and kudos are much appreciated, and please consider making a small [Ko-fi donation](https://ko-fi.com/okayklepto) if you enjoy my writing!


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